COLSA Corporation, headquartered in Huntsville, AL, with major regional offices in San Diego, CA, and Colorado Springs, CO, is pleased to be a SeaPort-e prime contractor for Zones 2, 4 and 6. COLSA provides a wide variety of services related to the functional areas defined in the SeaPort-e contract.

Through its support of Navy, Army, and Air Force customers in Zone 6, COLSA brings demonstrated capabilities across 17 of the functional areas in the Seaport-e contract. With reachback to our offices in Huntsville, AL; Shalimar, FL; Orlando, FL; and the National Capital Region, we bring additional depth and breadth to these areas. COLSA is a well-established defense contractor with the infrastructure, financial capability, and technical expertise to ensure the success of our customers. Brief descriptions of our Zone 6 experience are shown by functional area.

COLSA has provided engineering support to the development of the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS), Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS), and Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) programs, particularly with respect to the implementation of cryptographic algorithms used to encode transmissions using these protocols. We have provided Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, San Diego (SSC San Diego) with personnel experienced in the role of cryptographic standards into the Link-16 protocol. We write and review requirements, design, and develop documentation related to Link-16 cryptographic issues, and present findings and analyses to various meetings of the National Security Administration (NSA). COLSA has also provided systems engineering support for all Data Link Test Tools (DLTT) products. Personnel generate, analyze, estimate, design, and implement Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs) into individual products. Incorporation of new interfaces and new capabilities into existing products is a common task under this contract.

COLSA designed and developed the Multiple JTIDS Unit (JU) Simulator (MJS) to model the operations of a Link-16 network. The MJS has software components that model 256 JUs, each following the Link-16 transmit rules, and their Link-16 terminals.

COLSA prototype state-of-the-art circuit cards to integrate current information technology (IT) communications equipment with the Integrated Voice Communication System (IVCS) fielded on board AEGIS Cruisers and Destroyers. In a parallel effort, existing circuit cards in the IVCS were re-engineered to replace cards with obsolete and unavailable components. We developed a replacement announcing system for large and small Navy ships to modernize the 1, 3, 5, 6 MCs announcing system technology and greatly reduce maintenance time requirements on board Navy ships. As part of our work for Pedro Tower, COLSA has had several occasions to develop and field unique pieces of equipment designed to exploit the entire range of capabilities of the MIDS terminal (radio). One such piece of equipment is the MIDS Voice Breakout Box. This device allows operators of the MIDS Mini-Rack to use the secure J-voice channel in Link-16 to talk with other Link-16 operators over the same secure network on which the Link-16 data is being transmitted. COLSA is the lead system engineer and designer for the development of the new SPAWAR/PEO C4I PMW-150 sponsored prototype Link Monitoring and Maintenance Tool (LMMT) being built for fleet-wide use in support of tactical data link operations.

COLSA performed software development and integration support for the MIDS Host Computer (MHC) component of the EA-6B avionics system and for the Link-16 component of the EA-6B Mission Planning System (MPS). We are also providing ongoing software engineering development support for the Navy’s MarCom System Program. COLSA provided in-depth software technical support for the AN/STC-2(V) shipboard voice communications system. Our personnel also provided the software engineering for virtually all DLTTs development. A COLSA CMMI team led the effort that resulted in our customer Government organization to be assessed at Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Level 3.

COLSA provides CM support for the DLTT. Our specialists receive and identify each new baseline of each product and maintain a separate, controlled repository. We support support the change control process by identifying all trouble reports and ECPs, preparing the agenda for the Software Change Control and Engineering Review Board meetings, and recording the actions taken at these meetings. Additionally, CM personnel disseminate configuration information in the form of meeting minutes and Configuration Status Accounting Reports.

COLSA has provided management personnel for the DLTT effort who who identify the areas most in need of improvement, develop processes to address any deficiencies, and assign COLSA QA Agents to all projects to monitor adherence to the processes. QA Agents audit all processes according to a defined schedule, and report any deficiencies directly to the Business Area Manager.

COLSA provides a wide range of IT services to multiple customers including troubleshooting, maintenance, repair, and installation of shipboard Local Area Networks (LANs). COLSA/DWD provided technical support, and engineered and installed the SprectraLink prototype shipboard wireless LAN on board the USS Coronado. Shipboard wireless LANs require special engineering and installation skills because of the all-metal environment that interferes with the wireless transmissions. Data was collected and analyzed on the operational use of the LAN, for both Ships Force and Flag personnel. COLSA’s understanding of communications protocols and adherence to sound system engineering practices has resulted in successful installations and much improved intra-ship wireless communications. We also operate the Missile Defense Agency’s Advanced Research Center, the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Missile and Space Intelligence Center Analytical Support High Performance Computing Center, and NASA’s Huntsville Operations Support Center.

COLSA personnel have been responsible for removal of the interior communications equipment from decommissioned Navy ships. Many of the removed systems were refurbished/retained for re-installation in other ships, or broken down for hard-to-get spare parts to be used on ships without the system upgrades, or sent to the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office.

COLSA supports the pre- and post-release integration and interoperability testing of DLTTs and related operational products. We staffed and operated the SIF at SSC San Diego, a facility to support live and simulated data link interoperability testing and to evaluate the results of the testing. These tests provide the participating units an opportunity to evaluate their performance in a data link network and to determine whether their methods of operation need revision. In addition, the SIF supports long-range interoperability tests by use of the suite of DLTTs developed by COLSA personnel.

With the use of the JTIDS and MIDS mini-racks, COLSA’s Pedro Tower team has participated in testing at several military ranges and similar activities, such as the Army’s Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) at Fort Huachuca, AZ and at the Naval Air Weapon Center (NAWC) at China Lake, CA. During the course of testing, these tools are used to help establish electromagnetic interference (EMI) conformance of associated equipments located on the site. COLSA personnel were sent to Taiwan to perform similar EMI/electromagnetic capability (EMC) testing for the Po Sheng system being established there.

We provided program coordination, status and tracking for the MarCom System Development Program Office including development of a Microsoft Project database to manage the schedule and resources for the program. We also previously provided day-to-day program support to the Combined Interoperability Program at USPACOM at Camp Smith, HI. We provided technical expertise in tactical data link communication interoperability between US Command, Control, Communications, Computer, and Intelligence (C4I) assets and the assets of other countries with which the US has established an agreement and served as the secretariat at the bilateral Command and Control Interoperability Board (CCIB) meetings.

At the Army Future Warfare Center, Directorate of Combat Development (FWC-DCD) in Colorado Springs, COLSA personnel provide on-site office management support. We maintained maintains current personnel information, status of mandatory training, status of taskers, and project schedules. We maintained Oracle databases, SharePoint, and other DoD standard systems. We prepared correspondence, staffed actions, and performed records management. We monitored the status of deployed personnel, assisted in tracking personnel gains and losses, and performed strength management.

COLSA provided public affairs, editorial, design, and layout support for all written information products for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command (SMDC/ARSTRAT) Public Affairs Office (PAO) in Colorado Springs. Our personnel designed and edited the quarterly Army Space Journal. We produced news and feature articles for internal and external publication on SMDC/ARSTRAT events and missions. WE also supported the Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) PAO in Colorado Springs, providing technical design, layout, and editorial assistance for the quarterly Air Force Space Command Professional Journal.

As an ISO 9001:2008 and CMM Level 2 certified organization, COLSA understands that organizations are managed more effectively and efficiently when standard processes are in place to facilitate all activities. COLSA is committed to standardized processes that are efficient, effective, and designed to ensure the quality of our products and services. COLSA received our initial registration to the ISO 9001:1994 standard in August 1999 and has since successfully transitioned to the ISO 9001:2000 standard in August 2003 and the ISO 9001:2008 standard in August 2009. COLSA received our CMM Level 2 certification in January 2005. COLSA has developed a set of standard processes that meet the intent of CMMI Level 3. Our proven track record of delivering quality products and services that meet, and often exceed, customer requirements provides further corroboration that we take quality very seriously at COLSA Corporation.

Our Quality Management System (QMS) includes corporate business policies, procedures, work instructions, templates, forms, and checklists, all available via employee SharePoint portal for employees on- and off-site. Because our projects are diverse, our QMS procedures have been designed to be tailorable and flexible to meet the needs of a small, simple project as well as a large, complex one. Our system allows each project to do what makes best business sense for them while still performing the required standardized processes that ensure a quality product or service.

In order to foster the sharing of best practices across our geographically-dispersed organization, COLSA publishes a monthly newsletter to highlight internal tools and methods, share proven solutions, and to announce improvements to our QMS. To drive continual improvement of our QMS, employees are encouraged to provide feedback and a management review by senior management is performed bi-annually to ensure continued suitability and effectiveness. COLSA’s QMS processes and procedures have been continually improved and refined through lessons learned on previous projects and from feedback from employees and customers. We bring these mature and proven processes to producing products and providing services. Our quality assurance processes are flexible enough to not impede progress on the task but at the same time robust enough to add value.

Technical POC: Doug Ray

Contract POC: Chris Shue

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